According to KPMG CORPORATE FINANCE statistics, merger and acquisition transactions leapt to $797 bn throughout the world in 1999, or 47% more than in 1998. A record sum compared to 1990 when these types of transactions only amounted to $159 bn. The largest transaction was that of VODAFONE's takeover of AIRTOUCH for $69.3 bn. The survey reveals notably that: i) the United States remains the favourite target for foreign companies, with some 37% of world investments going to the United States...